We have, for your post-Halloween listening pleasure, a country legend, cool pop-rock from Chicago and Russian turbo-roots rock.

Merle

Merle Haggard is a country-music legend, an original outlaw, a Californian with Oklahoma bloodlines who overcame bad habits, bad breaks and poor choices to become one of the best twanging troubadours going.

Haggard started hitting out of Bakersfield in the '60s. Influenced by Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell and Californians such as Wynn Stewart, he fearlessly mixed that Bakersfield twang with Texas-style honky-tonk and Western swing for a sound that struck deep chords in listeners around the world.

Though country music keeps getting further from its roots, Haggard's songs such as The Fugitive, Okie From Muskogee, Mama Tried, Branded Man, If We Make It Through December, The Bottle Let Me Down and others remain vital numbers in the country songbook. And Haggard is still working hard on the honky-tonk highway.

Haggard and his band will be in action at Gruene Hall on Thursday. Showtime is listed as 8 p.m. The Maltass Brothers and Noel Haggard open. Tickets cost $69.50 via www.gruene hall.com or by calling 830-629-5077. At deadline time there were tickets left, but call or check the website before you head out.

Gold Motel

Here's your bandwagon-boarding opportunity for the week. Gold Motel is a pop-rocking band from Chicago that crafts cool and clever music built around sharp lyrics and words that make sense. Fronted by singer Greta Morgan of the Hush Sound, the band includes three This Is Me Smiling vets: Dan Duszynski (guitar, vocals), Matt Mink (bass) and Adam Kaltenhauser (drums) and guitarist Eric Hehr of Yearbooks and Villains of Verona.

Gold Motel has steadily been releasing music on the digital front and is picking up good notices for songs including Safe in LA. The band's debut album, Summer House, is set for physical release this month. Gold Motel will offer up a preview on Wednesday at the Ten Eleven. Doors open at 7 p.m. Cover charge is $8 and it's an all-ages show.

Red rock

Led by guitarist, singer and showman Igor Yuzov, Red Elvises have evolved from a "Siberian Surf Rock" band to a multi-national crew that puts an international stamp on roots rock while turning in sweaty shows. The Elvises will take over Sam's Burger Joint on Thursday. Hans Frank, no slouch in the show department, will open with Glambilly.

Jim Beal Jr.'s Night Lights covers the area music scene Wednesdays in S.A. Life and Friday in Weekender. He also plays bass in the local band Miss Neesie & the Ear Food Orchestra. Send e-mail to jbeal@express-news.net. Beal is the host of the "Third Coast Music Network" show from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursdays on KSYM, 90.1 FM. Check his blog at mySA.com, Keyword: Entertainment.